Automatic configuration of a low field magnetic resonance imaging system

ABSTRACT

In some aspects, a method of operating a magnetic resonance imaging system comprising a B 0  magnet and at least one thermal management component configured to transfer heat away from the B 0  magnet during operation is provided. The method comprises providing operating power to the B 0  magnet, monitoring a temperature of the B 0  magnet to determine a current temperature of the B 0  magnet, and operating the at least one thermal management component at less than operational capacity in response to an occurrence of at least one event.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §120 and is acontinuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/846,158, entitled“AUTOMATIC CONFIGURATION OF A LOW FIELD MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGINGSYSTEM,” filed on Sep. 4, 2015, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C.§119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/046,814,filed Sep. 5, 2014 and entitled “Low Field Magnetic Resonance ImagingMethods and Apparatus,” U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.62/111,320, filed Feb. 3, 2015 and entitled “Thermal Management Methodsand Apparatus,” U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/110,049,filed Jan. 30, 2015 and entitled “Noise Suppression Methods andApparatus,” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/174,666,filed Jun. 12, 2015 and entitled “Automatic Configuration of a Low FieldMagnetic Resonance Imaging System,” each of which is herein incorporatedby reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides an important imaging modalityfor numerous applications and is widely utilized in clinical andresearch settings to produce images of the inside of the human body. Asa generality, MRI is based on detecting magnetic resonance (MR) signals,which are electromagnetic waves emitted by atoms in response to statechanges resulting from applied electromagnetic fields. For example,nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques involve detecting MR signalsemitted from the nuclei of excited atoms upon the re-alignment orrelaxation of the nuclear spin of atoms in an object being imaged (e.g.,atoms in the tissue of the human body). Detected MR signals may beprocessed to produce images, which in the context of medicalapplications, allows for the investigation of internal structures and/orbiological processes within the body for diagnostic, therapeutic and/orresearch purposes.

MRI provides an attractive imaging modality for biological imaging dueto the ability to produce non-invasive images having relatively highresolution and contrast without the safety concerns of other modalities(e.g., without needing to expose the subject to ionizing radiation,e.g., x-rays, or introducing radioactive material to the body).Additionally, MRI is particularly well suited to provide soft tissuecontrast, which can be exploited to image subject matter that otherimaging modalities are incapable of satisfactorily imaging. Moreover, MRtechniques are capable of capturing information about structures and/orbiological processes that other modalities are incapable of acquiring.However, there are a number of drawbacks to MRI that, for a givenimaging application, may involve the relatively high cost of theequipment, limited availability and/or difficulty in gaining access toclinical MRI scanners and/or the length of the image acquisitionprocess.

The trend in clinical MRI has been to increase the field strength of MRIscanners to improve one or more of scan time, image resolution, andimage contrast, which, in turn, continues to drive up costs. The vastmajority of installed MRI scanners operate at 1.5 or 3 tesla (T), whichrefers to the field strength of the main magnetic field B₀. A rough costestimate for a clinical MRI scanner is on the order of one milliondollars per tesla, which does not factor in the substantial operation,service, and maintenance costs involved in operating such MRI scanners.

Additionally, conventional high-field MRI systems typically requirelarge superconducting magnets and associated electronics to generate astrong uniform static magnetic field (B₀) in which an object (e.g., apatient) is imaged. The size of such systems is considerable with atypical MRI installment including multiple rooms for the magnet,electronics, thermal management system, and control console areas. Thesize and expense of MRI systems generally limits their usage tofacilities, such as hospitals and academic research centers, which havesufficient space and resources to purchase and maintain them. The highcost and substantial space requirements of high-field MRI systemsresults in limited availability of MRI scanners. As such, there arefrequently clinical situations in which an MRI scan would be beneficial,but due to one or more of the limitations discussed above, is notpractical or is impossible, as discussed in further detail below.

SUMMARY

Low-field MRI presents an attractive imaging solution, providing arelatively low cost, high availability alternative to high-field MRI.The inventors have recognized that characteristics of low-field MRIfacilitate the implementation of substantially smaller and/or moreflexible installations that can be deployed in wide variety ofcircumstances and facilities, and further allow for the development ofportable or cartable low-field MRI systems. Because such systems may beoperating in different environments at different times and/or becausesuch systems may be operated in generally uncontrolled environments(e.g., low-field MRI systems may be operated outside specially shieldedrooms in which high-field MRI systems typically operate), it may beadvantageous to provide “in-field” and/or dynamic calibration of one ormore components of the MRI system to adjust or optimize the system forthe environment in which the system is located. According to someembodiments, automated techniques are provided to modify or adjust oneor more aspects of an MRI system based on environmental and/or operatingconditions of the system, as discussed in further detail below.According to some embodiments, automated techniques are provided thatfacilitate ease of use of the low-field MRI system, thus enabling use byusers/operators having a wider range of training and/or expertise,including no specialized training or expertise at all.

Some embodiments include a method of operating a magnetic resonanceimaging system comprising a B₀ magnet and at least one thermalmanagement component configured to transfer heat away from the B₀ magnetduring operation, the method comprising providing operating power to theB₀ magnet, monitoring a temperature of the B₀ magnet to determine acurrent temperature of the B₀ magnet, and operating the at least onethermal management component at less than operational capacity inresponse to an occurrence of at least one event.

Some embodiments include a magnetic resonance imaging system, comprisinga B₀ magnet configured to provide at least a portion of a B₀ field atleast one thermal management component configured to transfer heat awayfrom the B₀ magnet during operation, and at least one processorprogrammed to monitor a temperature of the B₀ magnet to determine acurrent temperature of the B₀ magnet, and operate the at least onethermal management component at less than operational capacity inresponse to an occurrence of at least one event.

Some embodiments include a method of dynamically adjusting a B₀ fieldproduced by a magnetic resonance imaging system, the method comprisingdetecting a first magnetic field produced by a B₀ magnet thatcontributes to the B₀ field, and selectively operating at least one shimcoil to produce a second magnetic field based on the detected firstmagnetic field to adjust the B₀ field produced by the magnetic resonanceimaging system.

Some embodiments include a magnetic resonance imaging system, comprisinga B₀ magnet configured to provide a first magnetic field thatcontributes to a B₀ field, a plurality of shim coils, at least onesensor arranged to detect the first magnetic field when the B₀ magnet isoperated, and at least one controller configured to selectively operateat least one of the plurality of shim coils to produce a second magneticfield based on the first magnetic field detected by the at least onesensor to adjust the B₀ field produced by the magnetic resonance imagingsystem.

Some embodiments include a method of degaussing subject matter proximatea magnetic resonance imaging system comprising a B₀ magnet configured toprovide, at least in part, a B₀ field, the method comprising operatingthe B₀ magnet with a first polarity, and periodically operating the B₀magnet with a second polarity opposite the first polarity.

Some embodiments include a magnetic resonance imaging system configuredto degauss proximate subject matter, the magnetic resonance imagingsystem comprising a B₀ magnet configured to provide, at least in part, aB₀ field, and a controller configured to operate the B₀ magnet with afirst polarity, and to periodically operate the B₀ magnet with a secondpolarity opposite the first polarity.

Some embodiments include a method of dynamically configuring a magneticresonance imaging system for use in an arbitrary environment, the methodcomprising identifying at least one impediment to performing magneticresonance imaging, and automatically performing at least one remedialaction based, at least in part, on the identified at least oneimpediment.

Some embodiments include a method of configuring a magnetic resonanceimaging system having a component to which radio frequency coils ofdifferent types can be operatively coupled, the method comprisingdetecting whether a radio frequency coil is operatively coupled to thecomponent of the magnetic resonance imaging system, determininginformation about the radio frequency coil in response to determiningthat the radio frequency coil is operatively coupled to the magneticresonance imaging system, and automatically performing at least oneaction to configure the magnetic resonance imaging system to operatewith the radio frequency coil based, at least in part, on theinformation about the radio frequency coil.

Some embodiments include a magnetic resonance imaging system comprisinga B0 magnet configured to provide at least a portion of a B0 field, acomponent to which radio frequency coils of different types can beoperatively coupled, and at least one controller configured to detectwhether a radio frequency coil is operatively coupled to the componentof the magnetic resonance imaging system, determine information aboutthe radio frequency coil in response to determining that the radiofrequency coil is operatively coupled to the magnetic resonance imagingsystem, and automatically perform at least one action to configure themagnetic resonance imaging system to operate with the radio frequencycoil based, at least in part, on the information about the radiofrequency coil.

Some embodiments include a method of operating a low-field magneticresonance imaging system comprising at least one communication interfacethat allows the magnetic resonance imaging system to communicate withone or more external computing devices, the method comprisinginitiating, by at least one processor of the low-field magneticresonance imaging system, a connection with at least one externalcomputing device, and exchanging information with the at least oneexternal computing device using the at least one processor.

Some embodiments include a low-field magnetic resonance imaging systemcomprising at least one magnetic component configured for operation atlow field, at least one communication interface that allows thelow-field magnetic resonance imaging system to communicate with one ormore external computing devices, and at least one processor configuredto initiate a connection with at least one external computing device,and exchange information with the at least one external computing deviceusing the at least one processor.

Some embodiments include a method of assisting in the automatic setup ofa magnetic resonance imaging system, the method comprising detecting atype of radio frequency coil connected to the magnetic resonance imagingsystem and/or a position of a patient support, and automaticallyperforming at least one setup process based, at least in part, on thetype of radio frequency coil detected and/or the position of the patientsupport.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various aspects and embodiments of the disclosed technology will bedescribed with reference to the following figures. It should beappreciated that the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a low-field MRI system that may beautomatically configured in accordance with the techniques describedherein;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are an illustration of a portable low-field MRI system,in accordance with some embodiments;

FIGS. 2C and 2D are an illustration of a transportable low-field MRIsystem, in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a process for automatically configuring alow-field MRI system in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a process for powering up a low-field MRIsystem in accordance with some embodiments; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic of a networked environment in which some of thetechniques described herein may be performed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The MRI scanner market is overwhelmingly dominated by high-fieldsystems, and is exclusively so for medical or clinical MRI applications.As discussed above, the general trend in medical imaging has been toproduce MRI scanners with increasingly greater field strengths, with thevast majority of clinical MRI scanners operating at 1.5 T or 3 T, withhigher field strengths of 7 T and 9 T used in research settings. As usedherein, “high-field” refers generally to MRI systems presently in use ina clinical setting and, more particularly, to MRI systems operating witha main magnetic field (i.e., a B0 field) at or above 1.5 T, thoughclinical systems operating between 0.5 T and 1.5 T are generally alsoconsidered “high-field.” By contrast, “low-field” refers generally toMRI systems operating with a B0 field of less than or equal toapproximately 0.2 T. The appeal of high-field MRI systems includeimproved resolution and/or reduced scan times compared to lower fieldsystems, motivating the push for higher and higher field strengths forclinical and medical MRI applications.

The inventors have developed techniques for producing improved quality,portable and/or lower-cost low-field MRI systems that can improve thewide-scale deployability of MRI technology in a variety of environmentsincluding, but also beyond, installments at hospitals and researchfacilities. For example, in addition to hospitals and researchfacilities, low-field MRI systems may be deployed in offices, clinics,multiple departments within a hospital (e.g., emergency rooms, operatingrooms, radiology departments, etc.), either as permanent orsemi-permanent installations or deployed as mobile/portable/cartablesystems that can be transported to desired locations.

The inventors have recognized that widespread deployment of suchlow-field MRI systems presents challenges in ensuring that the MRIsystem performs suitably in any environment in which the system isoperated. Manually configuring parameters of the low-field MRI systemfor a particular environment and/or application is cumbersome and oftenrequires technical expertise typical users of the low-field MRI systemmay not have. Additionally, properties of the environment that may beimportant to operation of the system may not be ascertainable orotherwise obtainable by a human operator.

Accordingly, some embodiments are directed to techniques forautomatically configuring a low-field MRI system based, at least inpart, on environmental and/or operational condition of the low-field MRIsystem. Techniques for automatic configuration may be performed uponpowering on of the system, in response to detecting one or more changesin environmental and/or operating conditions, or at any other suitabletime, as discussed in more detail below. Some aspects are directed to anautomatic setup process for a low-field MRI system in which component(s)of the system are automatically configured based, at least in part, onenvironmental and/or operating conditions in which the low-field MRIsystem is operated. Some aspects are directed to dynamically configuringan MRI system in view of changing environmental and/or operatingconditions. Some aspects or directed to automatic techniques foradjusting the operation of the system based on an operating mode of thesystem (e.g., low power mode, warm-up, idle, etc.).

Additionally, as discussed above, increasing the field strength of MRIsystems yields increasingly more expensive and complex MRI scanners,thus limiting availability and preventing their use as a general purposeand/or generally available imaging solution. The relatively high cost,complexity, and size of high-field MRI primarily restricts their use todedicated facilities. Moreover, conventional high-field MRI systems aretypically operated by technicians that have had extensive training onthe system to be able to produce desired images. The requirement thathighly trained technicians be present to operate high-field MRI systemsfurther contributes to the limited availability of high-field MRI and tothe inability of high-field MRI to be employed as a widely availableand/or general purpose imaging solution.

The inventors have recognized that ease of use may be a substantialcontributing factor in allowing low-field MRI systems to be widelyavailable, deployed and/or used in a variety of circumstances andenvironments. To this end, the inventors have developed automatic,semi-automatic and/or assisted setup techniques that facilitate simpleand intuitive use of the low-field MRI system. As a result, the amountof training needed to operate such a low-field MRI system may besubstantially reduced, increasing the situations in which the low-fieldMRI system can be employed to perform desired imaging applications.

Following below are more detailed descriptions of various conceptsrelated to, and embodiments of, methods and apparatus for low fieldmagnetic resonance applications including low-field MRI. It should beappreciated that various aspects described herein may be implemented inany of numerous ways. Examples of specific implementations are providedherein for illustrative purposes only. In addition, various aspectsdescribed in the embodiments below may be used alone or in anycombination, and are not limited to the combinations explicitlydescribed herein. While some of the techniques described herein weredesigned, at least in part, to address challenges associated withlow-field and/or portable MRI, these techniques are not limited in thisrespect and can be applied to high-field MRI systems, as the aspects arenot limited for use with any particular type of MRI system.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of exemplary components of a low-field MRIsystem 100. In the illustrative example of FIG. 1, low-field MRI system100 comprises workstation 104, controller 106, pulse sequencesrepository 108, power management system 110, and magnetics components120. It should be appreciated that system 100 is illustrative and that alow-field MRI system may have one or more other components of anysuitable type in addition to or instead of the components illustrated inFIG. 1.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, magnetics components 120 comprises magnet 122,shim coils 124, RF transmit/receive coils 126, and gradient coils 128.Magnet 122 may be used to generate the main magnetic field B₀. Magnet122 may be any suitable type of magnet that can generate a main magneticfield having low-field strength (i.e., a magnetic field having astrength of 0.2 Tesla or less). Shim coils 124 may be used to contributemagnetic field(s) to improve the homogeneity of the B₀ field generatedby magnet 122. Gradient coils 128 may be arranged to provide gradientfields and, for example, may be arranged to generate gradients in themagnetic field in three substantially orthogonal directions (X, Y, Z).

RF transmit/receive coils 126 comprise one or more transmit coils thatmay be used to generate RF pulses to induce an oscillating magneticfield B₁. The transmit coil(s) may be configured to generate anysuitable types of RF pulses useful for performing low-field MR imaging.In some embodiments, suitable types of RF pulses useful for performinglow-field MR imaging may be selected, at least in part, on environmentalconditions, as discussed in more detail below.

Each of magnetics components 120 may be constructed in any suitable way.For example, in some embodiments, one or more of magnetics components120 may be fabricated using techniques described in the co-filed U.S.Application under Attorney Docket No.: 00354.70000US01, titled “LowField Magnetic Resonance Imaging Methods and Apparatus,” filed Sep. 4,2015, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Power management system 110 includes electronics to provide operatingpower to one or more components of the low-field MRI system 100. Forexample, as discussed in more detail below, power management system 110may include one or more power supplies, gradient power amplifiers,transmit coil amplifiers, and/or any other suitable power electronicsneeded to provide suitable operating power to energize and operatecomponents of the low-field MRI system 100.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, power management system 110 comprises powersupply 112, amplifier(s) 114, transmit/receive switch 116, and thermalmanagement components 118. Power supply 112 includes electronics toprovide operating power to magnetic components 120 of the low-field MRIsystem 100. For example, power supply 112 may include electronics toprovide operating power to one or more B₀ coils (e.g., B₀ magnet 122) toproduce the main magnetic field for the low-field MRI system. In someembodiments, power supply 112 is a unipolar, continuous wave (CW) powersupply, however, any suitable power supply may be used. Transmit/receiveswitch 116 may be used to select whether RF transmit coils or RF receivecoils are being operated.

Amplifier(s) 114 may include one or more RF receive (Rx) pre-amplifiersthat amplify MR signals detected by one or more RF receive coils (e.g.,coils 124), one or more RF transmit (Tx) amplifiers configured toprovide power to one or more RF transmit coils (e.g., coils 126), one ormore gradient power amplifiers configured to provide power to one ormore gradient coils (e.g., gradient coils 128), shim amplifiersconfigured to provide power to one or more shim coils (e.g., shim coils124).

Thermal management components 118 provide cooling for components oflow-field MRI system 100 and may be configured to do so by facilitatingthe transfer of thermal energy generated by one or more components ofthe low-field MRI system 100 away from those components. Thermalmanagement components 118 may include, without limitation, components toperform water-based or air-based cooling, which may be integrated withor arranged in close proximity to MRI components that generate heatincluding, but not limited to, B₀ coils, gradient coils, shim coils,and/or transmit/receive coils. Thermal management components 118 mayinclude any suitable heat transfer medium including, but not limited to,air and water, to transfer heat away from components of the low-fieldMRI system 100. Thermal management component may, for example, be any ofthe thermal management components and/or techniques described inco-filed U.S. Application under Attorney Docket No.: O0354.70004US01,titled “Thermal Management Methods and Apparatus,” filed Sep. 4, 2015,which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, low-field MRI system 100 includes controller106 (also referred to herein as a “console”) having control electronicsto send instructions to and receive information from power managementsystem 110. Controller 106 may be configured to implement one or morepulse sequences, which are used to determine the instructions sent topower management system 110 to operate one or more of magneticcomponents 120 in a desired sequence. Controller 106 may be implementedas hardware, software, or any suitable combination of hardware andsoftware, as aspects of the disclosure provided herein are not limitedin this respect.

In some embodiments, controller 106 may be configured to implement apulse sequence by obtaining information about the pulse sequence frompulse sequences repository 108, which stores information for each of oneor more pulse sequences. Information stored by pulse sequencesrepository 108 for a particular pulse sequence may be any suitableinformation that allows controller 106 to implement the particular pulsesequence. For example, information stored in pulse sequences repository108 for a pulse sequence may include one or more parameters foroperating magnetics components 120 in accordance with the pulse sequence(e.g., parameters for operating the RF transmit/receive coils 126,parameters for operating gradient coils 128, etc.), one or moreparameters for operating power management system 110 in accordance withthe pulse sequence, one or more programs comprising instructions that,when executed by controller 106, cause controller 106 to control system100 to operate in accordance with the pulse sequence, and/or any othersuitable information. Information stored in pulse sequences repository108 may be stored on one or more non-transitory storage media.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, controller 106 also interacts with computingdevice 104 programmed to process received MR data. For example,computing device 104 may process received MR data to generate one ormore MR images using any suitable image reconstruction process(es).Controller 106 may provide information about one or more pulse sequencesto computing device 104 to facilitate the processing of MR data by thecomputing device. For example, controller 106 may provide informationabout one or more pulse sequences to computing device 104 and thecomputing device may perform an image reconstruction process based, atleast in part, on the provided information.

Computing device 104 may be any electronic device configured to processacquired MR data and generate one or more images of a subject beingimaged. In some embodiments, computing device 104 may be a fixedelectronic device such as a desktop computer, a server, a rack-mountedcomputer, or any other suitable fixed electronic device that may beconfigured to process MR data and generate one or more images of thesubject being imaged. Alternatively, computing device 104 may be aportable device such as a smart phone, a personal digital assistant, alaptop computer, a tablet computer, or any other portable device thatmay be configured to process MR data and generate one or images of thesubject being imaged. In some embodiments, computing device 104 maycomprise multiple computing devices of any suitable type, as aspects ofthe disclosure provided herein are not limited in this respect. A user102 may interact with computing device 104 to control aspects of thelow-field MR system 100 (e.g., program the system 100 to operate inaccordance with a particular pulse sequence, adjust one or moreparameters of the system 100, etc.) and/or view images obtained by thelow-field MR system 100.

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate a portable or cartable low-field MRI system200, in accordance with some embodiments. System 200 may include one ormore of the components described above in connection with FIG. 1. Forexample, system 200 may include magnetic and power components, andpotentially other components (e.g., thermal management, console, etc.),arranged together on a single generally transportable and transformablestructure. System 200 may be designed to have at least twoconfigurations; a configuration adapted for transport and storage, and aconfiguration adapted for operation. FIG. 2A shows system 200 whensecured for transport and/or storage and FIG. 2B shows system 200 whentransformed for operation. System 200 comprises a portion 290A that canbe slid into and retracted from a portion 290B when transforming thesystem from its transport configuration to its operation configuration,as indicated by the arrows shown in FIG. 2B. Portion 290A may housepower electronics 110, console 106 (which may comprise an interfacedevice such as the touch panel display illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B)and thermal management 118. Portion 290A may also include othercomponents used to operate system 200 as needed.

Portion 290B includes magnetic components 120 of low-field MRI system200, including laminate panels 210A and 210B on which one or moremagnetic components (e.g., magnet 112, shim coils 124, RFtransmit/receive coils 126, gradient coils 128) are integrated in anycombination. When transformed to the configuration adapted for operatingthe system to perform MRI (as shown in FIG. 2B), supporting surfaces ofportions 290A and 290B provide a surface on which a subject to be imagedcan lie. A slideable surface 265 may be provided to facilitate slidingthe subject into position so that a portion of the subject is within thefield of view of the laminate panels providing corresponding low-fieldMRI magnets. System 200 provides for a portable compact configuration ofa low-field MRI system that facilitates access to MRI imaging incircumstances where it conventionally is not available (e.g., in anemergency room).

FIGS. 2C and 2D illustrate another generally transportable low-field MRIsystem, in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 21C illustrates anexample of a convertible low field MRI system 280 that utilizes abi-planar hybrid magnet, in accordance with some embodiments. In FIG.2C, the convertible system is in a collapsed configuration convenientfor transporting the system or storing the system when it is not in use.Convertible system 280 includes a slide-able bed 284 configured tosupport a human patient and to allow the patient to be slid into and outfrom the imaging region between housings 286A and 286B in the directionof arrows 2281. Housings 286A and 286B house magnetic components for theconvertible system 280 to produce magnetic fields for performing MRI.According to some embodiments, the magnetic components may be produced,manufactured and arranged using exclusively laminate techniques,exclusively using traditional techniques, or using a combination of both(e.g., using hybrid techniques).

FIG. 2D illustrates convertible system 280 extended and with a patientpositioned on slide-able bed 284 prior to being inserted betweenhousings 286A and 286B to be imaged. According to some embodiments, eachof housings 286A and 286B house a hybrid magnet coupled to a thermalmanagement component to draw heat away from the magnetic components.Specifically, each of housings 286A and 286B on opposing sides of theimaging region include therein B0 coils 205 a and 205 b, laminate panel210 (210 b of which is visible within housing 286B in the face-uparrangement) and thermal management component 230 provided between theB0 coils. The magnetic components housed in 286A and 286B may besubstantially identical to form a symmetric bi-planar hybrid magnet, orthe magnetic components house in 286A and 286B may be different to forman asymmetric bi-planar hybrid magnet, as the aspects are not limitedfor use with any particular design or construction of a hybrid magnet.

In accordance with the techniques described herein, one or morecomponents of low-field MRI system (e.g., system 100, 200 and/or 280)are automatically configured to ensure that the system will perform oris performing properly during operation. As discussed above, such an MRIsystem may be operated in a variety of environments requiring one ormore parameters of the system to be adjusted to ensure satisfactoryoperation in a given environment. As also discussed above, manualconfiguration of components of a low-field MRI system is cumbersome andrequires expertise that many users of the MRI system may not have. Inmany instances, the environmental and/or operating condition to which asystem needs to adjust or adapt may not be ascertainable to a humanoperator (e.g., radio frequency noise or other electromagneticinterference (EMI), unintentional short or open circuits, mis-alignedcomponents, etc.) so that appropriate adjustment to the system is notpossible, even for an expert. Accordingly, some embodiments areconfigured to automatically perform a set of configuration and/or setupoperations in response to the occurrence of a particular event (e.g.,powering on the low-field MRI system, waking-up from a sleep mode or alow-power mode, detection of changing environmental conditions, etc.).

FIG. 3 illustrates an automatic configuration process that may beperformed in response to the occurrence of an event in accordance withsome embodiments. It should be appreciated that while FIG. 3 illustratesa number of configuration or setup operations that may be performed, anyone or combination of operations may be performed, as the aspects arenot limited in this respect. Additionally, although the exemplaryconfiguration operations shown in FIG. 3 are shown as being performed inseries, it should be appreciated that one or more configurationoperations may be performed partially or completely in parallel, andthere are no limitations on which and/or when particular configurationoperations are performed.

In act 310, the low-field MRI system is powered on. FIG. 4 illustrates apower on process that may be performed in act 310 in accordance withsome embodiments. It should be appreciated that while FIG. 4 illustratesa number of power-up operations that may be performed, any one orcombination of operations may be performed, as the aspects are notlimited in this respect. Additionally, although the exemplaryconfiguration operations shown in FIG. 4 are shown as being performed inseries, it should be appreciated that one or more configurationoperations may be performed partially or completely in parallel, andthere are no limitations on which and/or when particular configurationoperations are performed.

In act 410, the low-field MRI system is connected to a power source. Forexample, the low-field MRI system may be connected to a standard walloutlet, connected to an external power supply such as a generator, orconnected to any other suitable type of power source for providingoperating power to components of the low-field MRI system. In act 412,it is verified that the emergency power cutoff is operational. Patientsafety is a primary consideration when designing medical devices.Accordingly, some low-field MRI systems used in accordance with thetechniques described herein include an emergency power cutoff that maybe manually or automatically triggered in situations (e.g., overheatingof the magnet) where patient safety may be a concern. Thus, to ensuresafe operation, the system may check to confirm that any and all powercutoff (or other safety mechanisms) are enabled and/or operational.

In act 414, the console 104 is powered on by, for example, a userpressing a power switch, button or other mechanism on the console. Inresponse to being powered on, the console may execute a number ofstartup processes prior to launching a control application used tocontrol one or more operations of the low-field MRI system. After orduring execution of any startup processes, a control applicationconfigured to control one or more operations of the low-field MRI systemis launched on the console (act 416). The control application may belaunched automatically upon power on of the console or in response to auser interaction with the console or an external electronic deviceconfigured to interact with the console, as discussed in more detailbelow. In response to the control application being launched theapplication may instruct the console to perform one or more operationsincluding, but not limited to, instructing power supply 112 to turn onsystem DC power.

After or during launch of the control application, other components ofthe low-field MRI system may be enabled and/or configured. For example,in act 418, the control application may instruct power supply 112 topower up magnet 122 by warming up the magnet to a temperature whereinthe resulting B₀ field is suitable for imaging, for example, to performlow-field MRI. In some implementations, the process of warming up themagnet may take a considerable amount of time (e.g., 30 minutes) toprovide a stable B₀ field suitable for imaging. To reduce the amount oftime needed to warm up the magnet 122, some embodiments perform one ormore “pre-heating” operations. For example, one or more of thermalmanagement components 118 that, during operation of the low-field MRIsystem, transfer heat away from magnetic components 120 of the low-fieldMRI system, may be turned down or turned off to allow the magnet to warmup faster than if the thermal management components were operatingnormally. In some implementations, thermal management components 118includes air or water cooling systems (e.g., fans and/or pumps) toprovide cooling of the magnetics components of the low-field MRI system.During pre-heating of the magnet, the fans and/or pumps may be turnedoff or turned down (e.g., by decreasing the cooling capacity orintensity) to expedite the magnet warm up process. Operating one or morethermal management components at less than operation capacity refersherein to intentionally adjusting the one or more thermal managementcomponents so that the capacity to remove heat is reduced from itsnormal operation, including by not operating the one or more thermalmanagement components at all.

In embodiments that modify the operation of thermal managementcomponents 118, the temperature of the magnet should be closelymonitored to ensure that the magnet does not overheat and/or todetermine when to turn on or increase the capacity/intensity of thethermal management components. The temperature of the magnet may bedetermined in any suitable way including, but not limited to, using atemperature sensor, determining the temperature of the magnet based, atleast in part, on a measured voltage of the magnet, etc. According tosome embodiments, temperature sensing (e.g., via sensors and/or voltagemeasurements) is provided to automate control of thermal management toexpedite warming and to engage and/or increase the cooling intensity asthe magnet approaches thermal equilibrium or suitable B0 fieldstability.

Some embodiments include a low-power mode for use when the system isidle (e.g., not being used for imaging) to keep the magnet warm. Forexample, in a low power mode, less current may be provided to the magnetwhile still allowing magnet 112 to remain at a temperature acceptablefor imaging. The low-power mode may be implemented in any suitable waythat enables the magnet to remain at a desired temperature. For example,one or more of the techniques described above for reducing the warm-uptime of the magnet (e.g., turning off or down one or more thermalmanagement components) may also be used to place the low-field MRIsystem into low-power mode. Thus, while not in use, the magnet can staywarm with less power so that, when needed, the magnet is ready withoutneeding a warm-up period. In some embodiments, operation in low-powermode may be automatically initiated when the low-field MRI system 100has not been in operation for a particular amount of time and/or lowpower mode may be initiated manually via a switch, button or otherinterface mechanism provided by the system.

Alternatively, low-power mode may be used in response to determiningthat an ambient temperature of the environment in which the low-fieldMRI system 100 is operating is above a particular temperature. Forexample, if the low-field MRI system is deployed in a high-temperatureenvironment (e.g., a desert), operation of the magnet in a normaloperating mode may not be possible due to the likelihood of the magnetoverheating. However, in such situations, the MRI system 100 may stillbe able to operate in low-power mode by driving the magnet with lesscurrent than would be used in environments with lower temperatures.Accordingly, such a low-power mode enables use of low-field MRI systemsin challenging environments that ordinarily would be unsuitable for MRIsystems to operate.

In some embodiments, the time required to perform warm up of the magnetprior to imaging may be reduced by determining and compensating forfluctuations in low-field MRI parameters during the warm up process toenable imaging before the fluctuations have stabilized. For example, theLarmor frequency of the B₀ magnet often fluctuates as the magnet warmsup and becomes stable. Some embodiments characterize how the Larmorfrequency tracks with voltage (or temperature) of the magnet, andcompensates for the changes in frequency to allow for imaging before themagnet reaches its normal operating temperature. The homogeneity of theB₀ field is another parameter known to fluctuate during warm up of themagnet. Accordingly, some embodiments characterize how the B₀ fieldhomogeneity tracks voltage (or temperature) of the magnet, andcompensates for the changes in field homogeneity (e.g., using one ormore shim coils) to enable imaging before the field homogeneity reachesnormal operating levels. Other low-field MRI parameters that fluctuateduring warm up of magnet 112 may also be tracked and compensated for toprovide for imaging with the low-field MRI system prior to the magnetreaching thermal equilibrium and/or field stability, provided that thefluctuations in these parameters may be characterized by measuring avoltage (or temperature) of the magnet, or some other parameter of thelow-field MRI system.

Returning to the process of FIG. 4, in act 420, the gradient coils areenabled. The inventors have recognized that, in some embodiments, theprocess of enabling the gradient coils may be delayed until shortlybefore imaging is ready to proceed to reduce the power consumption ofthe low-field MRI system. After the low-field MRI system is operational,act 422 may be performed to monitor one or more properties of the magnetto ensure that the magnet remains in a state suitable for operation. Ifit is detected that one or more properties of the magnet have drifted orotherwise changed in a manner that impacts the ability to acquiresatisfactory images, one or more remedial actions may be performed.

Returning to the process of FIG. 3, in act 312, one or more generalsystem checks are performed to ensure the proper operation of thelow-field MRI system 100. For example, the general system checks mayinclude checking whether magnet 112 is shorted or open. Shorting ofmagnet 112 may occur for any of a number of reasons. Thermal contractionand expansion (thermal cycling) of various components of the low-fieldMRI system, for example, during normal operational use and/or as aresult of operation in different environments may result in shorting ofmagnet 112, or a portion thereof, or any of various other circuitry,coils, etc. of the MRI system. For example, thermal cycling may causeotherwise isolated conductive material to come into contact to shortcircuitry (e.g., windings in a coil) of the system. For example, aconductive (e.g., aluminum) surface of a cold plate included as acomponent of thermal management system 118, may in some cases, contactconductive material of one or more coils being cooled to cause shortingof coil. Some embodiments test the system (e.g., magnet 112) todetermine whether there is a short, and if so, an alert may be providedto the user that the system is not operational and needs to be serviced.A short may be detected by monitoring the current-voltage (IV) curveresulting from powering one or more components to evaluate whether theIV curve responds as expected, or by using any other suitable technique.

According to some embodiments, the system detects for an open circuit.For example, any number of factors may cause a magnet 112 (or any othersystem circuitry) to open, thereby not allowing current to flow. Opencircuits can be caused by thermal cycling and/or through use of thesystem, for example, by separating electrical connections or by havingcomponents come loose (e.g., dislodged bolts or screws used to connectcomponents of the low-field MRI system 100). For example, thermalcycling of the magnet may contribute to the loosening of bolts/screws inthe magnet assembly, which may cause the magnet to have an open circuit.Some embodiments test magnet 112 to determine whether it is open (e.g.,by observing whether applying a voltage draws a current), and if so, analert may be provided to the user that the magnet is not operational andneeds to be serviced.

Other general system checks that may be performed in accordance withsome embodiments include determining the stability of the power supply112. The inventors have recognized that in some implementations powersupply 112 may be operated near the margins of stability, and smalldeviations outside of this range may cause the power supply to becomeunstable and oscillate. Power supply 112 may also oscillate for otherreasons, including, but not, limited to, a circuit fault inside of thepower supply. The stability of the power supply may be determined in anysuitable way including, but not limited to, measuring the current drawnfrom the power supply to ensure that the current being draw is asexpected.

The inventors have recognized that the quality of the power source usedto power the low-field MRI system 100 may vary depending on theenvironment in which the low-field MRI system is deployed. For example,a low-field MRI system being operated in the field may be powered by,for example, a generator that may present power source challenges notpresent when the low-field MRI system is powered using a standard poweroutlet in a hospital. As another example, the power supply quality mayvary with the operation of other devices on the same local power grid.As yet another example, a low-field MRI system deployed in a mobilecontext, such as in an ambulance, may need to be powered via a batteryand converter. To address such issues, some embodiments perform generalsystem checks to assess characteristics of the power source in anysuitable way to ascertain whether the power source is of sufficientquality to operate the system.

As another example, low-field MRI systems may be deployed innon-standard environments where the quality and/or standards of thepower hook-up may be unknown. To address this, some embodiments includechecking the wiring of the power outlet to determine whether the outletis wired properly prior to trusting the power source to power the systemto avoid the power source damaging components of the system. Checkingthe wiring of the power outlet may include, but is not limited to,measuring the voltage from the power outlet, measuring the noise levelin the current provided by the power outlet, and/or determining whetherthe power outlet is correctly wired (e.g., live, neutral and ground areall at appropriate values). The inventors have appreciated that powerproduced by some power sources (e.g., a generator or power inverter) maybe noisy. If it is determined that the power outlet is not wiredproperly or has an unacceptable level of noise, the user of the systemmay be informed, and an alternate power source may be located prior topowering on the low-field MRI system.

The inventors have recognized that external sources of electromagneticnoise may impact the ability of a low-field MRI system to operateproperly in the variety of environments that the system may be deployed.Returning to the process of FIG. 3, in act 314, external noise sourcesare assessed to determine whether detected noise source(s) can besuitably dealt with by modifying one or more operating parameters of thelow-field MRI system, whether the noise source can be compensated forusing noise compensation techniques, or whether the low-field MRI systemwill not operate suitably in the presence of one or more detected noisesources, in which case the low-field MRI system should alert an operatorthat the system should be moved to another location less affected bynoise.

According to some embodiments, environmental conditions including, butnot limited to, external temperature drift and/or system temperaturedrift, may be detected and/or monitored, and the carrier frequency(Larmor frequency) of one or more pulse sequences used to performimaging by the low-field MRI system may be modified to compensate forchanges in the environmental conditions. Aspects of the low-field MRIsystem other than pulse sequence parameters may additionally oralternatively be adjusted or modified to compensate for changes in theenvironmental conditions. For example, gradient currents or shimcurrents may also be determined based, at least in part, on detectedenvironmental conditions.

Some low-field MRI systems for use in accordance with some embodimentsmay include a noise cancellation system configured to detect and, atleast partially, compensate for external sources of noise. For example,noise canceling may be performed by providing an auxiliary receivechannel to detect ambient radio frequency interference (RFI). Forexample, one or more receive coils may be positioned proximate to, butoutside, the field of view of the B₀ field to sample the RFI but notdetect MR signals emitted by an object being imaged. The RFI sampled bythe one or more auxiliary receive coils may be subtracted from thesignal received by the one or more receive coils positioned to detectemitted MR signals. Such an arrangement has the ability to dynamicallyhandle and suppress RFI to facilitate the provision of a generallytransportable and/or cartable low field MRI system that likely to besubjected to different and/or varying levels of RFI depending on theenvironment in which the low field MRI system is operated. Some examplesof suitable noise cancellation techniques that may be used with alow-field MRI system are described in co-filed U.S. Application underAttorney Docket No.: O0354.70001US01, titled “Noise Suppression Methodsand Apparatus,” filed Sep. 4, 2015, which is herein incorporated byreference in its entirety.

Some embodiments may detect and compensate for noise sources using amultichannel receive coil array configured to detect the spatiallocation of received signals as either being within the array or outsideof the array. Signals determined to be from outside of the array may beconsidered noise and can be subtracted from the signals determined to befrom within the array. Noise cancellation techniques in accordance withsome embodiments include employing both a multichannel receive coilarray and one or more auxiliary coils used to perform noisecancellation.

As another example, the noise cancellation system may detect if there isa nearby device producing electromagnetic noise that will impact theoperation of the low-field MRI system, which will enable an operator ofthe low-field MRI system to determine whether the noisy device can beunplugged or removed prior to operation and/or whether the noisinessintroduced by the detected noisy device can be compensated for using anyof various noise cancellation techniques. External noise may arise fromseveral different types of sources that interfere with the ability of alow-field MRI system to produce images of an acceptable quality. Forexample, the low-field MRI system may detect noise in a particularfrequency band and configured the low-field MRI system to operate in adifferent frequency range to avoid the interference. As another example,the low-field MRI system may detect noise sufficient so that the systemcannot avoid and/or adequately suppress the noise. For example, if thelow-field MRI system is deployed near an AM broadcast station, it may bedetermined that the noise cancellation system may not be capable ofcancelling the broadcast noise, and the user of the low-field MRI systemmay be informed that the system should be moved to another location awayfrom the AM broadcast station to ensure proper operation of thelow-field MRI system.

The inventors have recognized that external signals that may contributeto reduced performance of a low-field MRI system may include signals notoften considered to be traditional noise sources. For example, otherlow-field MRI systems operating in the vicinity of a given low-field MRIsystem being configured may also generate signals that may interfere andnegatively impact the performance of the low-field MRI system. Accordingto some embodiments, the low-field MRI system is configured to detectother systems in close enough proximity to interfere with operation andmay communicate with any such system to avoid mutually interfering witheach other. For example, multiple low-field MRI systems may beconfigured to communicate with each other using a networking protocol(e.g., Bluetooth, WiFi, etc.), and other low-field MRI systems operatingin the vicinity of the low-field MRI system being configured may beidentified by attempting to automatically connect to other low-field MRIsystems within range using the networking protocol.

High-field MRI systems are deployed in specialized shielded rooms toprevent electromagnetic interference from impacting operation of the MRIsystem. As a result, high-field MRI systems are also isolated fromexternal communications. In addition, because of the high-fieldstrengths, electronic devices typically cannot be operated in the sameroom as the B₀ magnet of the MRI system. Low-field MRI systems, on theother hand, can be configured to be generally portable and to operate inlocations other than specialized shielded rooms. As a result, low-fieldMRI systems can be communicatively coupled to other devices, includingother low-field MRI systems, in ways that high-field MRI systems cannot,facilitating a number of benefits, some of which are discussed infurther detail below.

FIG. 5 illustrates a networked environment 500 in which one or morelow-field MRI systems may operate. For example, multiple low-field MRIsystems may be deployed in different rooms of a clinic or hospital, ormay be deployed in different facilities remotely located. The systemsmay be configured to communicate via the network to identify thepresence of other systems, and automatically configure the operatingconditions of one or more low-field MRI systems with detectioncapabilities to reduce interference between the systems. As shown,networked environment 500 includes a first low-field MRI system 510, asecond low-field MRI system 520, and a third low-field MRI system 530.Each of the low-field MRI systems is configured with detectioncapabilities to discover the presence of the other low-field MRIsystems, either via the network or using any other suitable mechanism(e.g., via device-to-device communication, detection of anotherlow-field MRI system as a noise source, etc.).

In some embodiments, a low-field MRI system may be configured toautomatically detect the presence of another operating low-field MRIsystem by directly communicating with the other operating low-field MRIsystem. For example, the low-field MRI systems may be configured tocommunicate with each other using a short-range wireless protocol (e.g.,Bluetooth, WiFi, Zigbee), and upon startup, a low-field MRI system mayattempt to discover if any other low-field MRI systems are operatingnearby using the short-range wireless protocol.

In some embodiments, a low-field MRI system may be configured toautomatically detect the presence of another operating low-field MRIsystem using an indirect technique (i.e., by not communicating directlywith the another low-field MRI system), such as by communicating with acentral computer, server (e.g., server 585) or intermediary deviceconfigured to keep track of the location of systems connected to thenetwork. Any suitable indirect technique may be used. For example, insome embodiments, upon startup and/or sometime thereafter duringoperation, a low-field MRI system may send one or more messages todatabase 550 via network 540 to register itself in the database.Registration of a low-field MRI system in database 550 may includeproviding any suitable information for storage in the databaseincluding, but not limited to, an identifier of the low-field MRIsystem, an operating (e.g., Larmor) frequency of the system, a locationof the system, and an indication of whether the system is active or in astandby mode.

The information stored in database 550 may be updated when a low-fieldMRI system first starts up, when a low-field MRI system changes itsoperating state (e.g., transitioning from active mode to standby mode),when the system changes one or more parameters (e.g., operatingfrequency), etc. Upon startup and/or sometime thereafter, a low-fieldMRI system may send a query to a computer associated with the database(e.g., server 585) to determine whether additional low-field MRI systemsare operating nearby and to obtain information about any detectedlow-field MRI systems. The query may include any suitable information toenable searching database 550 including, but not limited to, anidentifier of low-field MRI system issuing the query and a location ofthe low-field MRI system. The low-field MRI system may subsequentlynegotiate with other proximate systems, either directly or via thecomputer, to establish operating parameters such that the systems do notinterfere.

In other embodiments, detecting the presence of other nearby low-fieldMRI systems may be accomplished through measurements of MR data. Forexample, detected signals in response to RF pulses may be analyzed toidentify the presence of noise in the signal characterizing the presenceof a nearby low-field MRI system. Such embodiments do not requirenetworked (either direct or indirect) communication between multiplelow-field MRI systems. However, data acquisition and the analysis ofdata is required for the detection process, which may delay theidentification of nearby systems.

The inventors have recognized that in implementations where multiplelow-field MRI systems are operating in close proximity, the systems maybe configured to reduce interference between the systems or reduce theimpact of any other noise source (e.g., an AM radio station) on theperformance of a low-field MRI system. For example, the B₀ field of afirst low-field MRI system may be adjusted to shift the Larmor frequencyof the system away from the Larmor frequency of a second low-field MRIsystem operating close by or away from any other frequency range inwhich noise has been detected. Appropriate operating frequencies and/orfield strengths (or any other suitable configuration parameter) to usemay be established by negotiation directly between multiple low-fieldMRI systems or through communication with a central server responsiblefor resolving conflicts between systems. For example, a computerassociated with database 550 may be responsible for assigning operatingconfiguration parameters to closely located low-field MRI systems.

The inventors have recognized that multiple low-field MRI systems mayalso benefit from being connected to each other using one or morenetworks by sharing information including, but not limited to, pulsesequences, waveform tables, pulse timing schedules, or any othersuitable information. In some embodiments, a potential conflict betweenmultiple low-field MRI systems may be managed by time-slicing operationof the systems to reduce the effect of interference between the systems.For example, a time-sharing arrangement may be established between atleast two low-field MRI systems to alternate or otherwise coordinatepulse sequences so that transmit and/or receive cycles are appropriatelystaggered to reduce interference between the systems.

As shown, the networked environment may also include one or more picturearchiving and communication systems (PACS) 560, and a low-field MRIsystem may be configured to automatically detect and connect to PACS 560to enable the storage of images captured with the low-field MRI system,to obtain one or more images (or information therefrom) stored by PACS560, or to otherwise utilize information stored therein. The networkedenvironment may also include a server 585 that can coordinate activityof and/or between low-field MRI systems connected to the network. Server585 can also serve to provide data to the low-field MRI systems, forexample, magnetic resonance fingerprinting data to facilitate MRI usingMR fingerprints. Server 585 can also operate as an information resourcein other respects.

Returning to the process illustrated in FIG. 3, in act 316, themechanical configuration of the low-field MRI system is checked. Forexample, one or more of the mechanical components of the low-field MRIsystem may comprise a micro-switch, a sensor, or any other suitabledevice for determining whether one or more mechanical components isproperly in place. Examples of mechanical components of a low-field MRIsystem that may employ measures to ensure that they are properly engagedinclude, but are not limited to, one or more RF coils (e.g., the headcoil), a bed or table on which the patient is placed during imaging, anda breaking device for the low-field MRI system when implemented as aportable system.

According to some embodiments, the exemplary system illustrated in FIG.2 may include a component that allows different types oftransmit/receive coils to be snapped into place to, for example,transmit/receive coils configured to image different portions of theanatomy. In this manner, a head coil, a chest coil, an arm coil, a legcoil or any other coil configured for a particular portion of theanatomy may be snapped into system to perform a corresponding imagingoperation. The interface to which the interchangeable coils areconnected (e.g., snapped into place) may include a mechanism fordetecting when a coil has been correctly attached, and this informationmay be communicated to an operator of the system. Alternatively, or inaddition to, the transmit/receive coil may be configured with a sensorof any suitable type capable of detecting when the coil has beencorrectly positioned and coupled to the system (e.g., snapped intoplace). According to some embodiments, the various transmit/receivecoils may include a storage device and/or microcontroller that storesinformation on the coil including, for example, any one or combinationof coil type, operating requirements, field of view, number of channels,and/or any other information that may be of use to the system, asdiscussed in further detail below. The transmit/receive coil may beconfigured to automatically provide information to the system (e.g.,broadcast information) when correctly attached to the system and/or thetransmit/receive coil may be configured to provide any requestedinformation in response to a query from the system. Any other componentsmay be checked to make sure all relevant mechanical connections arecorrectly made, as the aspects are not limited in this respect.

According to some embodiments, the system may automatically select ascanning protocol based on the type of transmit/receive coil that isconnected to the system. For example, if it is detected that a head coilis connected, the system may automatically select suitable head imagingprotocols. The system may provide a list of available head imagingprotocols which is then presented to the user for selection.Alternatively, if the system has further information (e.g., informationobtained from an RFID tag associated with the patient, as discussed infurther detail below), or information from a patient scheduling system,the system may select a specific head imaging protocol and setup up thesystem to perform the corresponding imaging procedure (e.g., an imagingprocedure to check for stroke). Similarly, when multiple protocols arepresented and a user selects from the options, the system may setup thesystem to perform the corresponding imaging procedure. As examples, thesystem may obtain (e.g., load or create) the appropriate pulsesequence(s), select the appropriate contrast type, select theappropriate field of view, prepare for acquisition of one or more scoutimages, etc. It should be appreciated that whatever the type oftransmit/receive coil detected, the system may present the availableprotocols and/or prepare and setup the system to perform a selected orautomatically identified scanning protocol.

According to some embodiments, the system may automatically select ascanning protocol based on the position of one or more components of thesystem. For example, the system may detect the position of the patientsupport (e.g., the bed, table or chair) and automatically select asuitable imaging protocol or present a list of available imagingprotocols suitable for the current position of the patient supportand/or setup up the system to perform an appropriate imaging procedure.It should be appreciated that automatically selecting appropriateimaging protocol(s) and/or performing other automatic setup activitiesmay be performed based on detecting the position and/or configuration ofother components of the system, as the aspects are not limited in thisrespect.

In act 318, automatic tuning of the RF coil may be performed. Someembodiments may include functionality for automatically detecting thetype of connected RF coil, and automatic tuning of the RF coil may beperformed based, at least in part, on information for the particulartype of connected RF coil that is detected. Other embodiments may notinclude functionality for automatically detecting a type of connected RFcoil, and automatic turning of the RF coil may be performed based, atleast in part, on manually entered information about the type of coilcurrently connected.

Automatic detection of a type of connected RF coil may be implemented inany suitable way. For example, the type of connected RF coil may bebased, at least in part, on the wiring in a connector of the coil. Asanother example, a programmable storage device (e.g., an EPROM)programmed with configuration information for the coil may be includedas a portion of the coil, and the configuration information may bedownloaded to the low-field MRI system when the coil is connected or atsome other time thereafter. The configuration information may includeinformation identifying the RF coil and any other suitable informationto facilitate configuration and/or calibration of the RF coil. Forexample, as discussed above, information about the field of view (FOV)of the coil, the frequency range of the coil, power scaling of the coil,calibration data for the coil, or any other suitable information may bestored on the storage device and, when transferred to the low-field MRIsystem, may be used to automatically tune the RF coil. As yet anotherexample, the connected RF coil may include an RFID tag that identifiesthe RF coil as being of a particular type, and the type of coil may beidentified by the low-field MRI system based, at least in part, on theRFID tag. The RFID tag may store and provide other information about thecorresponding coil, for example, any of the information described in theforegoing. It should be appreciated that any type of device that canstore information that is accessible either actively or passively may beutilized, as the aspects are not limited in this respect.

Various aspects of the automatic RF coil configuration may be performedbased, at least in part, on data collected during the configurationprocess. For example, some embodiments may be configured toautomatically detect the field of view and/or position of the patientprior to imaging by performing a test localizer pulse sequence andanalyzing the MR response. To speed up the configuration process, insome implementations, such a localizer pulse sequence may be performedprior to the magnet completely being warmed up, as discussed above.Appropriate adjustments to the patient and/or components of thelow-field MRI system may then be made while the magnet is warming up.However, such pulse sequences can be applied after the magnet is warmedup, as this techniques is not limited for use to any particular point intime.

According to some embodiments, the field of view and/or center positionis determined by acquiring a low resolution image to find the spatialextent of the subject. Alternately, the spatial extent may be obtainedby acquiring signal projections through the subjects. Adjustments may bemade to the system based on detecting where the subject is locatedwithin the field of view, or a warning message may be provided if thesubject is outside of the field of view to an extent that cannot beadjusted or compensated for. One or more fast scout images may beobtained using the field of view and/or center position. This scoutimage can be utilized in a number of ways to facilitate the imagingprocedure. For example, the user can select a scan volume by dragging abox over a desired portion of the scan image or otherwise annotating thescout image to indicate a desired region at which to perform imageacquisition. Alternatively, the user can zoom in or out (e.g., using azoom tool, using gestures on a touch screen, etc.) to select the scanvolume at which to perform a higher or full resolution scan. Accordingto some embodiments, a scout image may be displayed with the position ofone or more receive coils superimposed on the image. This informationcan be utilized to determine if a patient is positioned within the fieldof view to satisfactorily image the target portion of the anatomy.

According to some embodiments, the spatial extent may be determinedusing other techniques, for example, using one or more optical cameras.Information obtained from one or more optical cameras can be used toassess where a patient is located and whether the patient is positionedin a manner suitable for imaging.

Returning to the process of FIG. 3, in act 320, automatic shimming isperformed. As discussed above, some low-field MRI systems for use withthe techniques described herein include one or more shim coils that maybe energized to adjust the B₀ field to account for inhomogeneities inthe field. In some embodiments that include shim coils, calibration ofthe B₀ field may be performed in a similar manner by selectivelyactivating shim coils to improve the homogeneity of the B₀ field.According to some embodiments, one or more sensors are used to determinesystem characteristics (e.g., homogeneity of a magnetic field, stabilityof the system) and/or characteristics of environmental noise, and theinformation from the sensors may be used to tune the magnetic field byadjusting the operating parameters of the magnetics, including, but notlimited to, adjusting the B0 magnet, selecting one or more shim coils tooperate and/or selecting the operating parameters of the one or moreshim coils.

In some embodiments, automatic shimming is performed only after themagnet has warmed up completely. In other embodiments, automaticshimming is performed during the warm up process, as needed to acquireimages before the magnet has warmed up completely. Automatic shimmingmay be performed using a pre-defined sequence or in response tomeasurements of the B₀ field, as aspects of the invention are notlimited in this respect. Additionally, automatic shimming may beperformed upon startup and/or at any other suitable intervals while thelow-field MRI system is in use. Dynamic adjustment of the B₀ field byusing automatic shimming periodically or continuously during operationmay facilitate the acquisition of higher quality images in environmentswith changing properties, noise levels and/or under circumstances wherethe magnet temperature fluctuates, either during operation or becausethe magnet has not reached thermal equilibrium.

According to some embodiments, a low-field MRI system may include fieldsensors arranged to obtain local magnetic field measurements inconnection with magnetic fields generated by a low-field MRI systemand/or magnetic fields in the environment. These magnetic fieldmeasurements may be used to dynamically adjust various properties,characteristics and/or parameters of the low-field MRI system to improvethe performance of the system. For example, a network of spatiallydistributed field sensors may be arranged at known locations in space toenable real-time characterization of magnetic fields generated by alow-field MRI system. The network of sensors are capable of measuringlocal magnetic fields of the low-field MRI system to provide informationthat facilitates any number of adjustments or modifications to thesystem, some examples of which are described in further detail below.Any type of sensor that can measure magnetic fields of interest may beutilized. Such sensors can be integrated within one or more laminatepanels or may be provided separately, as concepts related to usingmagnetic field measurements are not limited to the type, number ormethod of providing the sensors.

According to some embodiments, measurements provided by a network ofsensors provides information that facilitates establishment of suitableshimming to provide a B₀ field of desired strength and homogeneity. Asdiscussed above, any desired number of shim coils of any geometry andarrangement can be integrated in a laminate panel, either alone or incombination with other magnetic components, such that differentcombinations of shim coils may be selectively operated and/or operatedat desired power levels. As such, when a low-field MRI system isoperated in a particular environment, measurements from the network offield sensors may be used to characterize the magnetic field generatedby, for example, a B₀ magnet and/or gradient coils, to determine whatcombination of shim coils should be selected for operation and/or atwhat power levels to operate selected shim coils to affect the magneticfields such that the low-field MRI system produces a B₀ field at thedesired strength and homogeneity. This capability facilitates thedeployment of generally portable, transportable and/or cartable systemsas the B₀ field can be calibrated for a given location at which thesystem is being utilized.

According to some embodiments, measurements from the network of fieldsensors may be utilized to perform dynamic shimming during operation ofthe system. For example, the network of sensors may measure magneticfields generated by a low-field MRI system during operation to provideinformation that can be used to dynamically adjust (e.g., in real-time,near real-time or otherwise in conjunction with operating the system)one or more shim coils and/or operate a different combination of shimcoils (e.g., by operating one or more additional shim coils or ceasingoperation of one or more shim coils) so that the magnetic fieldsgenerated by the low-field MRI system have or are closer to havingdesired or expected characteristics (e.g., the resulting B₀ field isproduced at or closer to desired field strength and homogeneity).Measurements from a network of field sensors may also be utilized tonotify an operator that magnetic field quality (e.g., the B₀ field,gradient fields, etc.) fails to meet a desired criteria or metric. Forexample, an operator may be alerted should the B₀ field being generatedfail to meet certain requirement regarding field strength and/orhomogeneity.

According to some embodiments, measurements from a network of sensorsmay be used to guide and/or correct reconstruction and/or processing ofMR data obtained from operating the low-field MRI scanner. Inparticular, actual spatial-temporal magnetic field patterns obtained bythe sensor network may be used as knowledge when reconstructing imagesfrom the acquired MR data. As a result, suitable images may bereconstructed even in the presence of field inhomogeneity that wouldotherwise be unsatisfactory for acquiring data and/or producing images.Accordingly, techniques for using field sensor data to assist in imagereconstruction facilitates obtaining improved images in somecircumstances and enabling the performance of low-field MRI inenvironments and/or circumstances where field strength and/orhomogeneity is degraded.

According to some embodiments, a network of field sensors may be used tomeasure and quantify system performance (e.g., eddy currents, systemdelays, timing, etc.) and/or may be used to facilitate gradient waveformdesign based on the measured local magnetic fields, etc. It should beappreciated that measurements obtained from a network of field sensorsmay be utilized in any other manner to facilitate performing low-fieldMRI, as the aspects are not limited in this respect. In generallyportable, transportable or cartable systems, the environment in whichthe MRI system is deployed may be generally unknown, unshielded andgenerally uncontrolled. As such, the ability to characterize themagnetic fields generated by a low-field MRI system given a particularenvironment (magnetic and otherwise) facilitates the ability to deploysuch systems in a wide range of environments and circumstances, allowingfor the systems to be optimized for a given environment.

According to some embodiments, one or more measurements made by thelow-field MRI system may be used in addition to or as a substitute for anetwork of field sensors, as discussed above. Substituting the use ofMR-based measurements made by the low-field MRI system for measurementsmade by a network of field sensors may simplify the design of thelow-field MRI system and enable the production of low-field MRI systemswith a reduced cost.

In some embodiments, a low-field MRI system may send diagnosticinformation to a centralized location (e.g., one or more networkedconnected computers associated with database 550) prior to determiningthat the system is ready for imaging a patient. In this manner, thelow-field MRI system may connect to the cloud to exchange informationprior to imaging or at any time during setup, configuration and/oroperation. The transmitted diagnostic information may be analyzed at thecentralized location and if it is determined that the low-field MRIsystem is functioning properly, a message may be sent back to the systemto inform the user that the system is ready for imaging. However, if aproblem is detected in response to analyzing the transmittedinformation, information indicating that the system may have anoperating problem may be sent back to the system. The informationreturned to the low-field MRI system may take any form including, butnot limited to, a simple ready/not ready indication, and a detailedanalysis of the detected problem, if found. In some embodiments, theinformation transmitted back to the low-field MRI system merelyindicates that the low-field MRI system is in need of servicing.

According to some embodiments, diagnostic information provided mayinclude a current version of software installed on the low-field MRIsystem. From this information, a determination that the MRI system isoperating using an up-to-date version of the software may be made. If itis determined that the current version of the software installed on thelow-field MRI system is not up-to-date, the information sent back to theMRI system may include an indication that the software should beupdated. In some embodiments, the ability to operate the low-field MRIsystem may be restricted based on the importance of the software update.According to some embodiments, an up-to-date version of the software maybe downloaded from a cloud connected computer to dynamically update thesystem when it is detected that the system is not using the most recentversion of the software and/or is otherwise operating using old and/oroutdated software.

Some embodiments may be configured to provide dynamic configuration ofthe MRI system by enabling the console to adjust the way that MRIsequences are used to generate images of a desired quality andresolution. Conventional MRI consoles typically operate by having a userselect a pre-programmed MRI pulse sequence, which is then used toacquire MR data that is processed to reconstruct one or more images. Aphysician may then interpret the resulting one or more images. Theinventors have recognized and appreciated that operating MRI systemsusing pre-programmed MRI pulse sequences may not be effective atproducing an image of a desired quality. Accordingly, in someembodiments, a user may prescribe the type of image to acquire, and theconsole may be tasked with deciding on the initial imaging parameters,optionally updating the parameters as the scan progresses to provide thedesired type of image based on analyzing the MR data received.Dynamically adjusting imaging parameters based on computational feedbackfacilitates the development of a “push-button” MRI system, where a usercan select a desired image or application, and the MRI system can decideon a set of imaging parameters used to acquire the desired image, whichmay be dynamically optimized based on MR data obtained duringacquisition.

Returning the process of FIG. 3, in act 322, external electronic devices(e.g., external electronic device 585 illustrated in FIG. 5) may bedetected. The inventors have recognized that the use of low-field MRIsystems permit patients, medical practitioners, and others to have anduse electronic devices 460 in close proximity to the MRI system withoutthe safety concerns that arise when such devices are located in closeproximity to high-field MRI systems. One such class of externalelectronic devices are wearable electronics (e.g., smartwatches,sensors, monitors, etc.) that may be used safely in low-fieldenvironments. Wearable electronics may store and/or detect patient datathat may facilitate the acquisition of images using the low-field MRIsystem. Accordingly, some embodiments automatically detect the presenceof such electronic devices and download patient data (e.g., heart rate,breathing rate, height, weight, age, patient identifier, etc.) to thelow-field MRI system for use in acquiring imaging data. For example, thepatient data may be used to gate or modify one or more data acquisitionparameters (e.g., pulse sequences) to customize the data acquisitionprocess based on a particular individual's patient-specific data.

The patient data may also be used to select appropriate pulse sequencesor other operational parameters of the low-field MRI system from a setof possible pulse sequences or operational parameters. Alternatively,the patient data may be used for any other purpose to improve imaging bythe low-field MRI system. For example, heart rate data and/or breathingrate data received from a wearable electronic device may be used tomitigate and/or correct for motion artifacts caused by patient motion.In addition, physiological data such as heart rate or breathing rate maybe used to provide synchronization information for an imaging processWearable electronic devices may be detected in any suitable way usingany suitable wireless discovery technique, examples of which are known.

A wearable device may include an RFID tag that includes patient datasuch as demographic information, health information about the patient(e.g., whether the patient has a pacemaker, implant, etc.), informationregarding the imaging protocol for the patient, etc. This informationmay be used by the system to automatically prepare and/or setup up thesystem to perform imaging according to the appropriate protocol. Forexample, the system may perform one or more checks to make sure thesystem is appropriately configured (e.g., a correct transmit/receivecoil is connected to the system, bed is in an appropriate position,etc.) for the desired imaging procedure, may select the appropriatepulse sequence, automatically configure one or more parameters of thesystem, prepare to acquire one or more scout images and/or automaticallyperform any other suitable procedure to prepare for acquiring image(s)according to the desired protocol. The information obtained from theRFID tag may include any other information including, but not limitedto, contrast agent type, amount, etc., destination of acquired images(e.g., PACS, cloud, tele-radiologist, centralized server, etc.) and/orany other information that facilitates the imaging procedure.

It should be appreciated that any of the above described information maybe obtained by the system using other techniques, such as scanning a barcode or hospital tag, or obtaining information available on thepatient's mobile device such as a smart phone or wearable device, asautomatically obtaining information about the patient and/or the desiredimaging procedure is not limited for use to any particular technique.For example, a patient's mobile device (e.g., a smart phone, wearabledevice, etc.) may include health information, diagnostic information orother information that may be accessed and utilized to obtaininformation that can inform aspects of automatically setting up animaging protocol and/or imaging procedure.

The inventors have also recognized that some external electronic devices(e.g., a mobile computing device) may be used to control variousoperational aspects of the low-field MRI system. For example, ratherthan requiring a healthcare professional to control the low-field MRIsystem from a dedicated console, some embodiments allow an externalelectronic device such as a smartphone or a tablet computer to controloperation of the low-field MRI system. The electronic device may beprogrammed with control instructions (e.g., using a control application)that, when within range of a low-field MRI system, enable a user of theelectronic device to control at least some operations of the system.Accordingly, some low-field MRI systems for use in accordance with someof the techniques described herein may be configured to automaticallydetect the presence of external electronic devices that can be used toremotely control at least some operations of the low-field MRI system.Additionally, one or more applications installed on the externalelectronic device may also include instructions that enable thehealthcare professional using the device to access and view one or moreimages stored on PACS 560.

As discussed above, an imaging procedure may be controlled using anynumber of local or remote devices, including a user's mobile device, acomputer local to a tele-radiologist, a local and/or integrated computerat the system, etc. The inventors have appreciated that whatever deviceis utilized, the user interface functionality may be implemented tofacilitate the examination process. For example, during an examinationprocess, areas of interest may be selected via one or more scout imagesor via or more higher resolution images, and additional scans may beautomatically performed to acquire further images corresponding to theselected areas of interest. According to some embodiments, to assist alocal user and/or tele-radiologist, previously obtained images of thesubject may be displayed and/or reference images of expected or healthyanatomy/tissue may be displayed. Previously obtained images may be usedas a comparison to identify anomalous regions, monitor changes in thepatient (e.g., to determine efficacy of a treatment), or otherwiseprovide diagnostic assistance. Reference images may be used to assist inidentifying abnormal anatomy, anomalous tissue and/or identify any othercondition that deviates from expectation as characterized by thereferences images.

The inventors have further appreciated that automatic analysis onobtained images may be performed to detect various events, occurrencesor conditions. For example, poor image quality in one or more areas maybe detected and appropriate pulse sequences obtained to acquire furtherimage data to fill in the gaps, increase the signal-to-noise ratioand/or or to otherwise obtain higher quality image data and/or improvethe image quality in the selected areas. As another example, acquiredimages may be analyzed to detect when target anatomy is not adequatelycaptured in the acquired images and warn the user that further imagingmay need to be performed.

The configuration operations of FIG. 3, discussed above, have beendescribed primarily in the context of configuring a low-field MRI systemduring initial system startup. However, it should be appreciated thatone or more of the configuration operations may additionally oralternatively be performed automatically during operation of thelow-field MRI system. As an example, the temperature of the magnet maybe monitored during system operation using a temperature sensor or bymeasuring the voltage of the magnet as described above. The magnetvoltage/temperature may also be monitored during operation to assesswhether components of the thermal management system (e.g., pumps, fans,etc.) are working properly. Additionally, one or more components of thethermal management system may be directly monitored during operation ofthe low-field MRI system to ensure that the components of the low-fieldMRI system are being cooled properly, as desired.

To reduce the power consumption of the low-field MRI system duringoperation, a control application executing on the console of the systemmay monitor for user activity. When no user activity is detected for aparticular amount of time (e.g., 30 minutes, 1 hour), the low-field MRIsystem may automatically enter a low-power mode to reduce powerconsumption and/or operational burden on the components that couldshorten the effective lifetime of the equipment. According to someembodiments, a low-field MRI system may have multiple low-power modesrepresenting different states of user inactivity, and the low-field MRIsystem may transition between the different low-power modes rather thancompletely shutting down upon not detecting user activity. For example,the low-field MRI system may be configured to have three low-powermodes, each of which corresponds to a different state of maintaining themagnet at a desired power and temperature. Upon detection of userinactivity for a short period of time (e.g., 30 minutes), the magnet mayautomatically enter a “light” low-power mode in which the currentprovided to the magnet is decreased slightly to reduce powerconsumption. If user inactivity is detected for a longer period of time(e.g., 1 hour), the magnet may automatically transition into a “medium”low-power mode, where the current provided to the magnet is decreasedfurther to consume less power. If user inactivity is detected for aneven longer period of time (e. g., 4 hours), the magnet mayautomatically transition into a “deep” low-power mode, where the currentprovided to the magnet is decreased even further to consume fewer powerresources.

As the magnet cools in the different low-power modes, components of thethermal management system (e.g., fans, pumps) may be adjustedaccordingly. Although three different low-power modes are describedabove, it should be appreciated that any suitable number of low-powermodes (including zero or one low-power mode) may alternatively be used.In addition, the time periods given above are merely exemplary and anytime period can serve as a basis for triggering a transition to a lowpower mode. Moreover, other aspect of the system may be monitored and/orother events may be used to trigger a transition to a low-power mode, asautomated transition to a low power mode is not limited to anyparticular type of trigger.

In accordance with some embodiments, a user may interact with a controlapplication to place the magnet into a low-power mode rather thanrelying on automated processes (e.g., the detection of user inactivity).A return to normal operation of the low-field MRI system from alow-power mode may be initiated in response to the detection of useractivity, such as receiving control instruction via a controlapplication on the console (e.g., a user engaging with a user interfacecontrol on the console), via external electronic device communicatingwith the low-field MRI system, or in any other suitable way.

The inventors have recognized that objects in the environment near thelow-field MRI system may become magnetized over time if the polarity ofthe B₀ field remains constant, and the magnetization of the objects inthe environment may cause distortions (e.g., an offset) in the B₀ field,resulting in poorer image quality. Demagnetizing the environmentalobjects may comprise performing a degaussing process in which themagnetization in the object is reduced. Some embodiments are directed tothe reducing the source of magnetization rather than treating itseffects. For example, some low-field MRI systems may be configured toswitch the polarity of the B₀ field occasionally (e.g., once a day) toprevent magnetization of objects in the surrounding environment. Inembodiments in which the polarity of the B₀ field is periodicallyswitched, the automatic shimming process, described above may take intoaccount the current polarity of the B₀ field to perform accurateshimming.

According to some embodiments, ferromagnetic components are used toincrease the field strength of a B₀ magnet without requiring additionalpower or producing a same B₀ field using a reduce amount of power. Suchferromagnetic components may become magnetized as a result of operatingthe low-field MRI system and may do so relatively rapidly, therebyperturbing the B₀ field in undesirable ways (i.e., differently thanintended). Accordingly, the above describe degaussing techniques (e.g.,switching the polarity of the B0 magnet) may be used to preventmagnetization of ferromagnetic components from adversely affecting theB₀ field and consequently the operation of the low-field MRI system. Asdiscussed above, low-field MRI facilitates the design and development ofMRI systems that are generally not feasible in the context of high-fieldMRI, for example, relatively low-cost, reduced footprint and/orgenerally portable or transportable MRI systems.

Having thus described several aspects and embodiments of the technologyset forth in the disclosure, it is to be appreciated that variousalterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to thoseskilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications, and improvementsare intended to be within the spirit and scope of the technologydescribed herein. For example, those of ordinary skill in the art willreadily envision a variety of other means and/or structures forperforming the function and/or obtaining the results and/or one or moreof the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/ormodifications is deemed to be within the scope of the embodimentsdescribed herein. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able toascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalentsto the specific embodiments described herein. It is, therefore, to beunderstood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way ofexample only and that, within the scope of the appended claims andequivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practiced otherwisethan as specifically described. In addition, any combination of two ormore features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methodsdescribed herein, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits,and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within thescope of the present disclosure.

The above-described embodiments can be implemented in any of numerousways. One or more aspects and embodiments of the present disclosureinvolving the performance of processes or methods may utilize programinstructions executable by a device (e.g., a computer, a processor, orother device) to perform, or control performance of, the processes ormethods. In this respect, various inventive concepts may be embodied asa computer readable storage medium (or multiple computer readablestorage media) (e.g., a computer memory, one or more floppy discs,compact discs, optical discs, magnetic tapes, flash memories, circuitconfigurations in Field Programmable Gate Arrays or other semiconductordevices, or other tangible computer storage medium) encoded with one ormore programs that, when executed on one or more computers or otherprocessors, perform methods that implement one or more of the variousembodiments described above. The computer readable medium or media canbe transportable, such that the program or programs stored thereon canbe loaded onto one or more different computers or other processors toimplement various ones of the aspects described above. In someembodiments, computer readable media may be non-transitory media.

The terms “program” or “software” are used herein in a generic sense torefer to any type of computer code or set of computer-executableinstructions that can be employed to program a computer or otherprocessor to implement various aspects as described above. Additionally,it should be appreciated that according to one aspect, one or morecomputer programs that when executed perform methods of the presentdisclosure need not reside on a single computer or processor, but may bedistributed in a modular fashion among a number of different computersor processors to implement various aspects of the present disclosure.

Computer-executable instructions may be in many forms, such as programmodules, executed by one or more computers or other devices. Generally,program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, datastructures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particularabstract data types. Typically the functionality of the program modulesmay be combined or distributed as desired in various embodiments.

Also, data structures may be stored in computer-readable media in anysuitable form. For simplicity of illustration, data structures may beshown to have fields that are related through location in the datastructure. Such relationships may likewise be achieved by assigningstorage for the fields with locations in a computer-readable medium thatconvey relationship between the fields. However, any suitable mechanismmay be used to establish a relationship between information in fields ofa data structure, including through the use of pointers, tags or othermechanisms that establish relationship between data elements.

When implemented in software, the software code can be executed on anysuitable processor or collection of processors, whether provided in asingle computer or distributed among multiple computers.

Further, it should be appreciated that a computer may be embodied in anyof a number of forms, such as a rack-mounted computer, a desktopcomputer, a laptop computer, or a tablet computer, as non-limitingexamples. Additionally, a computer may be embedded in a device notgenerally regarded as a computer but with suitable processingcapabilities, including a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a smartphoneor any other suitable portable or fixed electronic device.

Also, a computer may have one or more input and output devices. Thesedevices can be used, among other things, to present a user interface.Examples of output devices that can be used to provide a user interfaceinclude printers or display screens for visual presentation of outputand speakers or other sound generating devices for audible presentationof output. Examples of input devices that can be used for a userinterface include keyboards, and pointing devices, such as mice, touchpads, and digitizing tablets. As another example, a computer may receiveinput information through speech recognition or in other audibleformats.

Such computers may be interconnected by one or more networks in anysuitable form, including a local area network or a wide area network,such as an enterprise network, and intelligent network (IN) or theInternet. Such networks may be based on any suitable technology and mayoperate according to any suitable protocol and may include wirelessnetworks, wired networks or fiber optic networks.

Also, as described, some aspects may be embodied as one or more methods.The acts performed as part of the method may be ordered in any suitableway. Accordingly, embodiments may be constructed in which acts areperformed in an order different than illustrated, which may includeperforming some acts simultaneously, even though shown as sequentialacts in illustrative embodiments.

All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood tocontrol over dictionary definitions, definitions in documentsincorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the definedterms.

The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in thespecification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to thecontrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”

The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in theclaims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements soconjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some casesand disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with“and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” ofthe elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be presentother than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause,whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified.Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when usedin conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer,in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other thanB); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elementsother than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionallyincluding other elements); etc.

As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “atleast one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should beunderstood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more ofthe elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including atleast one of each and every element specifically listed within the listof elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the listof elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally bepresent other than the elements specifically identified within the listof elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether relatedor unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as anon-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “atleast one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) canrefer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including morethan one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements otherthan B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally includingmore than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elementsother than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionallyincluding more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including morethan one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.

Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of“including,” “comprising,” or “having,” “containing,” “involving,” andvariations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listedthereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.

In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitionalphrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,”“containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are tobe understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limitedto. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consistingessentially of” shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases,respectively.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of configuring a magnetic resonanceimaging system having a component to which radio frequency coils ofdifferent types can be operatively coupled, the method comprising:detecting whether a radio frequency coil is operatively coupled to thecomponent of the magnetic resonance imaging system; determininginformation about the radio frequency coil in response to determiningthat the radio frequency coil is operatively coupled to the magneticresonance imaging system; and automatically performing at least oneaction to configure the magnetic resonance imaging system to operatewith the radio frequency coil based, at least in part, on theinformation about the radio frequency coil.
 2. The method of claim 1,further comprising determining at least some of the information aboutthe radio frequency coil based, at least in part, on detecting at leastone electrical property of the at least one coil and/or on at least onemechanical property when the radio frequency coil is operatively coupledto the at least one component.
 3. The method of claim 1, whereinperforming at least one action comprises automatically configuring atleast one component of the magnetic resonance imaging system to operatewith the radio frequency coil based, at least in part, on theinformation about the radio frequency coil.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein determining information about the radio frequency coil comprisesautomatically obtaining information from the radio frequency coil. 5.The method of claim 4, wherein the information from the radio frequencycoil includes information about coil type, operating requirements, fieldof view, and/or number of channels available.
 6. The method of claim 3,wherein automatically configuring the at least one component comprisesautomatically tuning the radio frequency coil.
 7. The method of claim 4,wherein the radio frequency coil includes a storage device coupledthereto having information about the radio frequency coil.
 8. The methodof claim 7, wherein the storage device comprises a programmable storagedevice programmed with configuration information for the radio frequencycoil.
 9. The method of claim 7, wherein the storage device comprises anRFID tag storing information about the radio frequency coil.
 10. Themethod of claim 7, wherein the storage device is part of amicrocontroller coupled to the radio frequency coil.
 11. The method ofclaim 1, wherein performing at least one action comprises presenting forselection, by at least one operator, at least one imaging procedureavailable using the radio frequency coil.
 12. The method of claim 1,wherein the magnetic resonance imaging system is a low-field magneticresonance imaging system.
 13. A magnetic resonance imaging systemcomprising: a B0 magnet configured to provide at least a portion of a B0magnetic field; a component to which radio frequency coils of differenttypes can be operatively coupled; and at least one controller configuredto: detect whether a radio frequency coil is operatively coupled to thecomponent of the magnetic resonance imaging system; determineinformation about the radio frequency coil in response to determiningthat the radio frequency coil is operatively coupled to the magneticresonance imaging system; and automatically perform at least one actionto configure the magnetic resonance imaging system to operate with theradio frequency coil based, at least in part, on the information aboutthe radio frequency coil.
 14. The magnetic resonance imaging system ofclaim 13, wherein the at least one controller is configured toautomatically configure at least one component of the magnetic resonanceimaging system to operate with the radio frequency coil based, at leastin part, on the information about the radio frequency coil.
 15. Themagnetic resonance imaging system of claim 13, wherein the at least onecontroller is configured to automatically obtain information from theradio frequency coil.
 16. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim15, wherein the information from the radio frequency coil includesinformation about coil type, operating requirements, field of view,and/or number of channels available.
 17. The magnetic resonance imagingsystem of claim 14, wherein the at least one controller is configured toautomatically tune the radio frequency coil.
 18. The magnetic resonanceimaging system of claim 15, wherein the radio frequency coil includes astorage device coupled thereto having information about the radiofrequency coil.
 19. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 18,wherein the storage device comprises a programmable storage deviceprogrammed with configuration information for the radio frequency coil.20. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 18, wherein thestorage device comprises an RFID tag storing information about the radiofrequency coil.
 21. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 18,wherein the storage device is part of a microcontroller coupled to theradio frequency coil.
 22. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim13, wherein the at least one controller is configured to present forselection, by at least one operator, at least one imaging procedureavailable using the radio frequency coil.
 23. The magnetic resonanceimaging system of claim 13, wherein the B0 magnet is configured toproduce a B0 magnetic field having a field strength equal to or lessthan approximately 0.2 T and greater than or equal to approximately 0.1T.
 24. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 13, wherein the B0magnet is configured to produce a B0 magnetic field having a fieldstrength equal to or less than approximately 0.1 T and greater than orequal to approximately 50 mT.
 25. The magnetic resonance imaging systemof claim 13, wherein the B0 magnet is configured to produce a B0magnetic field having a field strength equal to or less thanapproximately 50 mT and greater than or equal to approximately 20 mT.26. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 13, wherein the B0magnet is configured to produce a B0 magnetic field having a fieldstrength equal to or less than approximately 20 mT and greater than orequal to approximately 10 mT.
 27. A method of assisting in the automaticsetup of a magnetic resonance imaging system, the method comprising:detecting a type of radio frequency coil coupled to the magneticresonance imaging system and/or a position of a patient support; andautomatically performing at least one setup process based, at least inpart, on the type of radio frequency coil detected and/or the positionof the patient support.
 28. The method of claim 27, wherein performingthe at least one setup process includes selecting an imaging protocol.29. The method of claim 28, wherein selecting an imaging protocolincludes loading a corresponding pulse sequence.
 30. The method of claim27, wherein performing the at least one setup process includespresenting at least one imaging protocol for selection.